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Fun & Bold Summer Look

Hey there! I am going to walk you through a surprisingly quick makeup routine that I use almost daily! This can easily be dressed up for a night out on the town, or dressed down for a more casual look. Ready? Here we go!

Step 1: Prepare Your Makeup.

This look is pretty versatile, so you can definitely interchange these specific brands for what works best for you (or what you have at home). Here's what I am using for this tutorial.

Step 2: Apply Primer and Foundation

Alright, first thing's first. You'll want to prime your skin and add foundation or BB cream. I personally love Ulta's Double Duty because it is both a primer and a foundation in one, it goes on smoothly, has a matte finish, and lasts long. But, use what works best for you. Apply smoothly across your skin.

Step 3: Highlight

Now, you'll want to apply some highlights. You'll see that I added highlighter under my eyes, under the outside edge of my brows, the inner corner of my eyes, the bridge of my nose, and a bit above my top lip. (I have a very thin top lip and adding a bit of highlight to the upper edge gives my lip a bit more depth.) Once you've added your highlighter, make sure it's blended in smoothly before moving onto the next step.

Step 4: Bronze

Now that my highlights are set, I added a bit of bronzer to my cheekbones. I love Ulta's matte mousse because (as the label says) it has a matte finish. I have a round face, so I prefer matte finishes, which do not draw light to my cheeks (making my face look rounder). For a night out, you may also want to apply a touch of blush to the apples of your cheeks. But, this gives a nice, subtle sun-kissed look.

Step 5: All About the Brows.

Personally, I think eyebrows are the most important part of getting your face on. If I do nothing else, I do my eyebrows. Typically I use Benefit Gimme Brow, but I am out at the moment, so I have been using my old reliable drugstore brow pencil. To apply brow pencil, it's best to turn it slightly on its side, so that the point of the pencil is not making contact with your skin. Rather, you are rubbing the hairs of your brows with the side of the pencil lightly! I can't stress this enough. You want to emphasize your brows, but you don't want them to look totally drawn on. I don't apply pressure when I color my brows, just very lightly graze the hairs. It makes a big difference!

Step 6: Set Down a Base for Eyeshadow

For this, I prep my eyelids with my Naked Basics palette, using Foxy. If you don't own this palette and you're a fan of natural smokey eyes, BUY IT. It's amazing and well worth the money. Again, these are matte colors. Love some matte colors. Coat your eyelid with foxy (or a shade similar to your skintone) from your lash line to just above the crease of your eye.

Step 7: Add Depth, Smokiness.

Next, apply the shade Faint from your Basics palette, or a similar shade, to the outside of your lids. You'll want to go about halfway in with this shade, with the darker shade toward the outside. Blend it in. You'll want to use a thin brush to apply a bit of this color to the outer 1/3 of your lower lash line as well. Now, add just a touch (a very small touch) of Crave or black to the very outer corners of your eyes and make sure it's well blended.

Step 8: Cat Eye.

Now you're going to apply your eyeliner. I like to start about at the middle of my lid and work my way out. I highly, highly recommend buying Benefit's They're Real Push Up Liner if you're a fan of the cat eye. It's a long-lasting gel liner and the tip hugs lashes, creates smooth lines, and makes it easy to shape. Since this is a daytime eye, I did a pretty understated cat eye. But, for a night out, I'd recommend making it a bit fuller and using a creamy black liner (like Urban Decay's Black Velvet) to coat the inside of your upper lid. You'll notice that I did not reach the inner corners of my eyes for this look. This is okay as long as you blend the line into your lash line so that it looks natural.

Step 9: Make Sure It's All Blended In.

Here's what your eyes should look like now. Again, you can certainly create a more dramatic look for a night out.

Step 10: Apply Mascara.

Now you'll want to finish off your eyes by applying your favorite black mascara. I've used Benefit They're Real for this tutorial. For this day look, I have only applied mascara to the upper lashes. But, if you're getting ready for a night out on the town, do your bottom outside lashes, too!

Step 11: Prime Your Lips.

This is very important! If you want to get the longest wear and the truest color out of your lipstick, prime those lips! Fun trick: use foundation. I know it sounds weird, but it works miracles and it makes the color of your lipstick really pop. I used the same primer/foundation that I used for my face. Just apply it smoothly and let it set for a minute.

Step 12: Finish Off With a Bold Lip!

Last step! Just add a pop of your favorite color to finish the look. I used Elizabeth Mott's Tints & Sass in cherry. It's a stain – I tend to go for stains over lipsticks or glosses, as they seem to last longer for me.